


Happy Ending

by Miyukitty



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friendship, Homoromantic, Lesbian Character, Light Angst, Marriage Proposal, Multi, Royalty, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 05:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2840291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyukitty/pseuds/Miyukitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was like a scene from one of her novels.</p><p>The captain – no, the Exalt, down on one knee, eyes only for her, a common country girl with wind chapped cheeks and stable dirt under her fingernails. The ring he proffered bore the royal crest of Ylisse. This was actually happening. It felt like a dream. She would be a princess.</p><p>Sumia couldn't breathe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Ending

**Author's Note:**

  * For [affectionateTea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/affectionateTea/gifts).



> Post Chapter 11 drabble, no spoilers. This is half of a Secret Santa gift, artwork here: http://fav.me/d8b8qmk
> 
> ;) I hadn't given much thought to this pairing before because I didn't think the game handled Sumia's personality very well -- and so I decided to expand on a headcanon in writing. Peppered in some game dialogue from supports, so hopefully they seem in character! (but the supports are soooo saccharine ahhh this is stupidly sweet)

 

It was like a scene from one of her novels.

 

The captain – no, the _Exalt_ , down on one knee, eyes only for her, a common country girl with wind chapped cheeks and stable dirt under her fingernails. The ring he proffered bore the royal crest of Ylisse. This was actually happening. It felt like a dream. She would be a princess.

 

Sumia couldn't breathe.

 

"I'm far from a perfect man, and I know you can do better. But whenever you're close… you give me strength. So, what I want to ask is… Will you be my wife?"

 

She was finally able to draw in a choked gasp, and Chrom cleared his throat awkwardly, waiting for her to answer. She was supposed to swoon, wasn't she? Or sometimes the victorious heroine would sob tears of joy, before donning the ring that fit her finger perfectly. She knew what was expected of her.

 

But that was only fiction. This was no dream, it was real, and it was scary, and she still couldn't believe it was happening to her. She didn't feel like the heroine of this story. Those stories always ended the same way, and she thought hers would go a little differently.

 

"I… I don't know what to say," she stammered, heat rising in her cheeks. _Pegasus poop_. Chrom swallowed nervously, and his gaze lowered.

 

"You're a dear friend, and you've always helped me see the brighter side of things. I am the Exalt now, and I need someone I can trust at my side…"

 

He let the careful words hang in the air for a moment, and Sumia slowly encircled her arms around her waist, a visible effort to hold herself together and not panic. She wished he had never asked, because now she would have to _explain_. She wasn't supposed to have this ending. It wasn't for her. She wished the ground would swallow her whole.

 

When she said nothing, he continued in a softer voice.

 

"Sumia, I know you well enough to know… you don't see me that way. But I can give you a good life. You'd be royalty, like in your novels. You can have land to raise pegasi. You want a family… and that's not something you can have easily if you… if you don't take a _husband_ ," he explained haltingly, blush creeping up to his ears.

 

Sumia exhaled slowly. Part of her wanted to break down and cry, as she did so easily, but another part of her felt… emboldened.

 

When she closed her eyes and tried to imagine the life she'd have after the war, there was only one person she could imagine spending it with: the one who always flew at her side when they went into battle, the one who tried to repair her shattered confidence after every screw-up. She knew what she wanted, maybe for the first time in her life, and if Chrom really knew her he would understand. She was starting a new chapter. Perhaps he already knew what she was going to say, because he met her eyes with a sad smile before she said a word. She gulped.

 

"Captain… _Chrom_ … I like looking after you. It makes me happy to help you, whether its serving you as a Shepherd, or just baking you pies, but… what you're asking of me now, I… I just can't. It would be dishonest."

 

Her voice quavered, but she jutted her chin stubbornly, willing the tears not to fall. Chrom carried more burdens than anyone. He had suffered much during the campaign against the Mad King, and he deserved to have joy in his life, and it wasn't something he could have with _her_. They both knew he was under pressure to produce an heir, but to do it like this? She had to speak from the heart, because at the very least he deserved _that_.

 

" I… I'll always be someone you can trust. I promise. And, and, I know there are other women you can ask, women who can return your love a hundredfold! But even though I'm clumsy and plain and useless, there's someone out there who makes me feel _special_ … someone who thinks I can control my own destiny… and it wouldn't be fair to either of us to pretend it's you… even for the sake of a child."

 

Chrom nodded solemnly, and after a long moment, put the ring back into his pocket.

 

Sumia was trying not to tremble – had she hurt her friend's feelings? Would he ever speak to her again? The last thing he needed right now was a rejection, even if he knew the reason why. Her fingers dug at her sides, twisting anxiously in the fabric of her dress. She never wanted to cause anyone trouble just because she didn't want to end up with a man. (She had always known, even if the romance novels she collected tended to give people the wrong idea. It was just difficult to find tales where the heroine got the girl in the end.)

 

Sure, she didn't bring it up much, but it wasn't the sort of thing one just blurted out in the barracks, and yes, she did want to have a child someday, but that didn't mean she had to marry someone she could never love romantically –

 

While the pegasus knight's thoughts raced, Chrom had managed to rise and dust off his knees. He smiled sheepishly at her when he saw how flustered she had become.

 

"Heh… Thank you for being honest. I… had a feeling you'd say that, but I wanted to offer all the same… I hope I didn't offend you. I care about you, Sumia, I just want you to be happy. If there's someone you love, I would never stand in your way."

 

She sighed in relief, burying her face in her hands. She was so glad he wasn't upset. This whole ordeal was so stressful, all she wanted was to retreat to the stables for some quiet time and forget this happened. His hand touched her shoulder in reassurance, briefly, then dropped to his side.

 

Chrom's smile grew a little warmer, and he added calmly, "I'm sure you'll make Cordelia very happy."

 

"C-Captain! Shhhh, what if someone hears you?" Sumia squeaked through her fingers, her face scarlet in fresh embarrassment. Was she so obvious? Or did he just guess, and she gave it away like the blundering clod she was?

 

"I, I haven't even told her yet, and you knew who–? And you p-proposed to me, knowing how I f-feel about her -- and how she feels about you?!"

 

Chrom chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe it was selfish of me not think it all the way through," he admitted. "I meant it, though. Your kindness has warmed my heart, and if you ever need anything from me, please don't hesitate to ask. I want the best for you, after all the sacrifices you've made for my sake."

 

Sumia spluttered something incoherent, and managed to nod in assent. Chrom was always ridiculously straightforward. She wished she could be so bold to confess her feelings to the brave and beautiful Cordelia – she couldn't imagine her plain old self down on one knee, baring her heart and soul into a _proposal_. She was more likely to fall flat on her face and lose the ring. She had no way of knowing if Cordelia would ever want her as more than a friend.

 

And yet, when she closed her eyes, she could envision the storybook ending she wanted. It just felt right that the one companion who had always been there would be the one she would grow old with. With some luck and some flower fortunes to boost her, Sumia had to believe she could make it happen. She wanted to gamble on herself, for once. 

 

"Er… Sumia? I do have a favor to ask…"

 

She glanced up, and caught Chrom shuffling his feet awkwardly. She swallowed around the lump in her throat, and squared her shoulders, trying to regain her composure.

 

"Please… Don't speak of this conversation to anyone? It wouldn't be very flattering for my future wife to learn she wasn't my first choice," Chrom mumbled, staring down at his boots. He looked like a child waiting to be scolded, and it made Sumia let out a nervous giggle. A weight was lifted off her shoulders.

 

"My lips are sealed tighter than a bear trap… So long as you promise not to breathe a word to Cordelia!"

 

Chrom sagged in relief. "That sounds like blackmail," he muttered with a smile, "But... thank you."


End file.
